↓ work

Chair Man

A live video-edit.The Netherlands, 2014, color, 40'

The selected fragment is 2min21sec and is an excerpt of his first 6am biking routine.

Synopsis

Chair Man is a live edit of video footage shot by Paulien
Oltheten in Nicaragua. It shows her repeatedly following a man who
carries a plastic chair on his head while riding a bicycle to and from
work. Fascinated by this phenomenon â€“ his balancing act â€“ Oltheten
continues to film him. Her presence begins to exert an influence on his
daily routine, prompting slight changes in the pattern as the man
becomes aware of the camera and the documentation of his actions. While
searching and clicking through the rough video edits, Oltheten sometimes
shares anecdotes, while other times leaving the image alone to speak
for itself. These manipulations create an associative narrative that
allows her to emphasize particular scenes, events and qualities on the
spot. By alternating the documentation of spontaneous moments with acts
of intervention or alteration, Chair Man becomes Olthetenâ€™s own balancing act between the real and the staged.